Chapter 4 Hard Life

  A tender childish voice appeared behind Wu Qing, Wu Qing turned around to take a look, it was a child about the same size as himself with a tuft of hair on his head, looking clever at first glance.

  Wang Baishi laughed and said: "Wang Xiu, you'd better learn from Wu Qing!"

  "Yes, father, I understand." Wang Xiu's voice was childish, but his manners were impeccable.

  Wu Qing sighed in his heart, this is indeed the Great Tang Dynasty, even this little kid has a grand and impressive demeanor that makes one involuntarily admire him. Wu Qing smiled and thanked him: "Then thank you, Wang Xiu brother."

  Wu Qing didn't pay attention to Wang Xiuzhi's movements, and instead recalled how the four ancient characters were written. Seeing that the ink had been ground well in the inkstone, he smoothed out his brush and tried it out. Wu Qing knew at once that this was a sheep hair brush, suitable for beginners practicing calligraphy. However, the paper was coarse and of poor quality, which made Wu Qing sigh inwardly. Although Wang Xiuzhi ran a private school here and offered free tuition, he wasn't very wealthy after all. Nevertheless, Wu Qing felt even more reverence for Wang Xiuzhi in his heart - this was all for the sake of education during the Tang Dynasty.

  Of course, Wu Qing didn't know that in the Tang Dynasty, whether it was a wealthy and noble family or a scholarly family, they all attached great importance to reputation. Wang Baishi's free private school was also a way to boost his reputation.

  Wu Qing wrote down the four characters "loyalty, filial piety, benevolence, and righteousness" with a serious expression, although they didn't have the style of Ou or Liu, but were indeed written stroke by stroke. This was already quite good for a three-year-old child, except for those super geniuses.

  Wang Baishi's eyes didn't show much surprise, he nodded and said: "The child is teachable, one day he will surely have great accomplishments."

  "Thank you for your guidance, sir." Wu Qing said respectfully.

  With that, today's studies were considered complete. Wu Qing knew the way home from school, his stomach was hungry, and he didn't care about other classmates, so he ran quickly towards his home in the west of the village.

  Ran home, saw the wooden gate closed, pushed it forward, and was surprised to find that it was blocked inside. Wu Qing felt strange, could it be that Wu Dama wasn't at home? With a small body and little strength, he pushed several times but couldn't open it, so he wandered along the fence wall, thinking of going in first. He originally wanted to call out for his mother, but shouting like this didn't seem right either. Fortunately, soon he saw an empty space under the fence wall, and Wu Qing quickly slipped inside, heading towards the kitchen to see if there was anything to eat.

  But in the bedroom came the sound of a man and woman quarreling, Wu Qing was surprised, thinking he had walked into the wrong room, so he quietly went to the middle bedroom.

  "Is that why you called me here today, to make amends? If so, then you won't need to keep this bag of rice either. Come back home with me and the two women can live a good life too." It was a man's voice.

  "Mr. Guo, you're also a man, if it wasn't for my husband giving you the capital to do business back then, where would you be today? Now that you won't even help me out, you still dare to humiliate me, has your conscience been eaten by dogs?" This was Madam Wu's voice.

  Wu Qing rushed into the bedroom and saw a man trying to pull Wu Shi. He was furious, "Let go of my mother!"

  Wu and the man apparently didn't notice Wu Qing entering the yard, in a state of shock, Wu struggled free from the man's grasp, pulled Wu Qing into her arms and said sorrowfully: "My son has returned so soon."

  Wu Qing stared at the man, who was not particularly robust, of medium build, with a fairly handsome face, but a pair of dull eyes that gave away the fact that he had been drained by wine and women.

  The man chuckled and said, "Honestly, in front of your son, this bag of rice is yours." The man patted the rice bag, revealing a sinister glint in his eyes.

  "Let's be honest, you with the surname Guo, Qing'er will always be my son. You heartless beast, take your rice and get out!" Wu Dama shouted angrily.

  The man's eyes gleamed with malice as he gazed at Wu Shi, a cruel smile spreading across his face. "Since you say I'm heartless and call me a beast," he sneered, "then today I'll be just that - a beast!"

  As soon as he finished speaking, the man dragged Wu Qing out and threw him out of the door. In an instant, Wu Qing felt that he was going to die again. With a loud thud, Wu Qing fell to the ground, his head bleeding profusely. Perhaps it was this pain that kept Wu Qing from fainting, and he saw the man pounce on Madame Wu, his anger burning fiercely.

  Wu saw Wu Qing being thrown out, unknown whether he was alive or dead. For a moment, his anger was extraordinary, and he kicked the man's groin with one foot. However, it was blocked by the man, who then counterattacked!

  Wu Qing's anger was burning fiercely, he wished he could grow up immediately. He didn't expect that as soon as he arrived in the Tang Dynasty, he would be so poor, and now he encountered such a thing. He was furious and extremely indignant, so he shouted loudly, "Save me! Murder! Mother!"

  In an instant, the wooden gate was kicked open with one foot. The newcomer shouted loudly, "Guo, stop what you're doing!"

  An old man with a lame leg, however, walked quickly and entered the house. Only to hear several mournful cries, that Guo surname man was beaten out of the door!

  Madam Wu hastily ran to the front of Wu Qing, then hugged Wu Qing and examined his injuries. Fortunately, it was only a scratch on the skin. Madam Wu quickly took out a handkerchief to wipe Wu Qing's forehead, crying: "It's all mother's fault that made Qing'er suffer so much."

  The old man limped out, ignoring the Wu sisters, and said to the man: "Guo Xing, you're also getting on in years, and you have a family and a business in the village. How can you still bully these poor women? Have you no conscience? Moreover, your current prosperity is also thanks to the help of Wu's late husband. Now that they are in trouble, it's already bad enough that you don't offer any assistance, but instead you're doing something even more despicable than a beast. Get out! If I see you again, don't blame me for not showing village courtesy."

  Guo Xing was beaten until his nose was blue and swollen, limping, without saying a word, he looked deeply at Wu Shi and Wu Qing who were crying, then turned around and left.

  The old man didn't say a word, limping his leg, went out the door, and in a moment, he came back carrying a sack of grain. He said to Madame Wu: "Madame Wu, don't cry, life is hard, you should be stronger too. This grain I brought for you, also counts as for young Master Wu. Alas, what a sin! If I were to say it, you'd better marry someone else, although you'll suffer, but at least you won't go hungry and be bullied by others. Today is just right, I came to deliver the grain, if another day... alas!"

  Madam Wu sobbed: "I appreciate Zhang Shu's good intentions, but I'm afraid it's too late. My son is already three years old, and if I were to remarry, Qing'er would be treated poorly by my new husband's family. How could I bear that? I can only repay Zhang Shu's kindness in the next life."

  Zhang Shu's face was full of worry, and he said: "I don't want to repay the kindness, it's just that you are a widow with no children, life is not easy. Okay, I'll leave now, this bag of rice will be enough for you to eat for a while, if it runs out, come to my place to get some."

  Wu Qing gazed silently at the stubborn old man, though lame in leg, but that slowly departing back figure made Wu Qing feel how great a person he was, he had never felt that a person's back figure could become so majestic.

  "Mother, I want to grow up quickly!" Wu Qing said.

  Wu held Wu Qing tightly and rubbed her face against his, "Qing'er suffered, it's all mother's fault."

  The mother and daughter cried together in a heap, their wails loud enough to shake heaven and earth.